What is the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act?
Described by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection as "one of the most significant pieces of employment legislation in a generation", the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 (the Act) aims to protect people employed in precarious work conditions. But it applies to all employees, and it'll have a major impact on employers, too.
4th March 2019
The new legislation came into force on 4th March 2019.
How will it affect your business?
Steps your business should take to comply with the Act
How Peninsula will help
Peninsula offers HR, employment law and health & safety support services to small and fast-growing businesses across Ireland. Our guess is you didn’t start your business to keep up to date with employment law. That’s exactly why we’re here to help.
Peninsula offers HR, employment law and health & safety support services to small and fast-growing businesses across Ireland. Our guess is you didn’t start your business to keep up to date with employment law. That’s exactly why we’re here to help.
Key points
Frequently asked questions
Will my employees face contractual changes?
Yes. Your employment contracts will need to be updated to ensure that they contain the five core terms of employment. You may also need to provide employees with a banded hours contract if they make a successful request to be put in a relevant band of hours.
When will it come into effect?
The new legislation came into force on 4th March 2019.
What’s the purpose of its introduction?
The government’s main objective in drafting the Act is to improve the security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts (as well as staff members on variable hours). It’ll also impose a wide range of new employment law compliance requirements affecting the SME sector.
Is there a minimum payment?
The Act retains the same payment mechanism as the existing zero hour contracts legislation. But one of the most significant changes is the introduction of a minimum payment of three times the national minimum wage hourly rate—or the rate as set out in any employment regulation orders that affect your business.